QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY

General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy

MODULE 2

SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Explain the development of the self from different psychological perspectives.
2. Construct a concept of self based on the psychological perspectives.
3. Express students' more in-depth understanding of who they are based on
different psychological perspectives.

Introduction

Psychology is defined as a science that studies human behavior. Psychologists are

trained to observe, describe, understand, predict and control behavior with the use of different
objective and projective methods contrary to the common misconception that psychologists
understand one person by merely reading their minds.

In this module, we will focus on understanding Personality through the various schools
of psychology, namely: Psychodynamic, Behaviorism, Humanistic and Existentialism.

Etymologically, Personality came from the Latin word "persona" which means mask
used by actors in a play. It is the mask we wear when we face the world.

Simply, it can be referred to “I” or everything about yourself – your likes, dislikes,
strengths and weaknesses. It can also be defined as the totality of characteristics that go
beyond physical qualities.

When Psychologists defined Personality, they are referring to more than what was
mentioned above. It is designated as the unique and stable set of internal and external aspects
of a person. One's Personality can be compared to one's fingerprint – unique in every
individual, siblings, and even twins are distinctive from each other.

Lesson 1: PSYCHODYNAMIC (The Study of the Unconscious)

The first school in Psychology is Psychodynamic. It supports the view on Personality

that unconscious forces govern human behavior. Theories on the psychodynamic perspective
descended from the work of Sigmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis views us, human beings as biological organisms motivated by the

satisfaction of our bodily needs (achieving pleasure). It also states that your experience as a
child strongly determine your adult personality (“The child is the father of the man”).
 QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy

Freud also discussed the three levels of the mind: conscious, preconscious and
unconscious. He also introduced the three structures of the mind. These are the id, ego and
superego. In addition to this, he proposed three types of anxiety: reality anxiety, neurotic
anxiety and moral anxiety. Lastly, Freud explained some strategies the ego uses to defend
itself against anxiety; these are known to be defense mechanism.

Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology

Adler proposed the view of Personality that focuses on striving for superiority
(becoming a better version of his self). He believed that we are motivated to overcome
inferiorities. Inferiority feelings are inescapable; they are necessary because they provide
the motivation to strive and grow.

Adler highlighted in his theory the concept of compensation wherein we form some
strategies to strive for a higher level of development. When a person is unable to
compensate his/her weaknesses, he/she develops the feeling of inferiority. Thus, he/she
has an inferiority complex. Inferiority complex is "the conscious or unconscious feeling that
one is not good as others" ([Link]). However, when a person overcompensates,
his/her normal feelings of inferiority will result to having a superiority complex. As we strive
for superiority, we also have an innate need to live in harmony and friendship with others
(social interest), and we develop a pattern of personal behavior (style of life).

One of the most famous works of Adler is his study about Family Constellation (Birth
Order). To him, an individual possesses a particular characteristic depending on his/her birth
order in the family.

Lesson 2: BEHAVIORISM (The Study of Consciousness)

John B. Watson founded the second school of psychology - behaviorism. It focused on

psychology as the study of overt behavior rather than mental processes. Watson argued
that if psychology was to be a science, it had to focus on the tangible aspects of human
nature – that which could be seen, heard, recorded and measured. Watson ignored genetic
factors and insisted that Personality is shaped by controlling the environment.

Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

Burrhus Frederic Skinner believed that most human behaviors are learned through
operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is the immediate reinforcement of the
response. The organism first does something (the behavior) and then reinforced by the
environment. This reinforcement increases the possibility that the same act will be repeated.

Three conditions are present in the process of operant conditioning: (A) antecedent,
(B) behavior (C) consequence. The (A) antecedent refers to the environment which the (B)
behavior takes place, while the (C) consequence is the reinforcement (reward experience)
or the punishment.
 QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy

Albert Bandura’s Observational Learning

Bandura agrees with Skinner that behavior is learned. However, he argued on the
idea that it was acquired through reinforcement. For him, learning occurs when an
organism's response is influenced by observing others called models.

There are two types of modeling: Live modeling and symbolic modeling. One learns
through live modeling when the person he/she’s trying to imitate is seen/heard in the flesh.
On the other hand, in symbolic modeling, an individual learns through the use of a medium
or instrument.

Lesson 3: HUMANISTIC

The Third school of psychology is Humanistic. It is a theoretical orientation that

emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their free will and their potential to
personal growth.

Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization

Abraham Maslow opposed the Psychoanalytic and Behavioral view on human

nature. He insisted that these views underestimate human nature, and we fail to examine
the best people.

Maslow proposed in his theory that human motives are organized into a hierarchy of
needs - a systematic arrangement of needs, according to priority, in which basic needs
must be met before higher requirements are aroused. He also emphasizes that the ultimate
goal of a person is self-actualization. This concept means the fulfilment of one's potential,
and a self – actualized individual is one that attained real happiness and peace of mind.

Lesson 4: EXISTENTIALISM

Existentialists believed that people search for some meaning in their lives. They ask
the important questions concerning their being: Who am I? Is life worth living? Does it have
a purpose? To the existentialist, each of us is responsible for who we are and what we
become. We cannot blame our parents, our teachers, employers, or any circumstances.
Ultimately, we can choose to become what we can be – it is our own choice.

Victor Frankl’s Logotherapy

Frankl’s Logotherapy is based on the premise that the human person is motivated by
a "will to meaning," an inner pull to find meaning in life. According to Frankl, "We can
discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed;
(2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take
toward unavoidable suffering" and that "everything can be taken from a man but one thing:
the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances
 QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy

Activities:

In order to be have a more comprehensive understanding on the following topics, you

can download the PowerPoint presentations and word documents uploaded on our Google
Classroom.

1. Freud’s three levels of the mind, three structures of personality, three kind of
anxiety and defense mechanism;
2. Adler’s classification of birth order;
3. Skinner’s positive and negative reinforcement and punishment;
4. Albert Bandura’s Observational Learning Process;
5. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs; and
6. Frankl’s assumptions of logotherapy.

Lastly, this video can help you to reflect more on discovering meaning in life.

1. There’s more to life than being happy

[Link]

2. The purpose of pain: Finding meaning in suffering

[Link]

Assessment

Now it’s time to check what you have learned from this module. Follow the
directions below. Write your output on an 8.5 x 11 paper in Microsoft Word with this
format: Times New Roman, 11, Single space, justified and with 1” margin from all sides.
Upload your document in our Google Classroom.

A. Direction:

Cite at least two examples per defense mechanism that you’ve

experienced and witnessed as a student.

B. Direction:

Illustrate your hierarchy of needs as a Filipino student. Do not limit

yourselves with what you see and learned on Maslow’s figure. Be creative and
imaginative.

Reflection: “Who am I?”

Direction:

Write your realization of who you are based on any of the psychological
perspectives of the self. Write it on an 8.5 x 11 paper in Microsoft Word with this format:
Times New Roman, 11, Single space, justified and with 1” margin from all sides. Upload
your document in our Google Classroom.
 QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy

Assignment: Creative Self – expression (e.g. drawing, poem)

Direction:

By this time, I know that you are more equipped with knowledge about self from
the perspective of psychology. For your assignment, narrate your experiences
belonging to a specific birth order through creative self-expression. Write / Illustrate it on
an 8.5 x 11 paper in Microsoft Word with this format: Times New Roman, 11, Single
space, justified and with 1” margin from all sides. Upload your document in our Google
Classroom.

References

Atkinson, R.L.; Atkinson, R.A.; Smith, E.E.; Bem, D.J.; and Nolen-Hoeksema, S., 2000.
Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology. 13th ed. Harcourt: USA.

Feist, J., Feist, G., 2009. Theories of Personality 7th Edition. United States of America. The
McGraw-Hill Companies

Inferiority Complex. Chegg Study. Retrieved on August 2, 2020, from

[Link]

Limpingco, DA, and Tria, G. E. (2007). Personality 3rd ed. Ken Inc.: Philippines.

Logotherapy. Logotherapy Institute. Retrieved on August 2. 2020, from

[Link]

Morris, C.G.; Maisto, A.A., 2006. Understanding Psychology. 7th ed. Prentice-Hall: USA.

Schultz, D.P, Schultz, S., 2013. Theories of Personality 10th Edition. Belmont, California.
Wadsworth Cengage Learning

Weiten, W., Lloyd, M., 2006. Psychology Applied to Modern Life 8th Edition. Belmont,
California. Thomson Wadsworth